FD10 Arnanes 701 by SHIPSCAT (Jolene) - Billing Boats - scale 1:50

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello shipmates

 

Yesterday my new kit arrived, it is a Billings Kit.

I will post some photos soon.

 

Jo.

 

[ccoyle]

I have always like the looks of these vessels, and we have a fine log of a finished example here at MSW.

[lmagna]

Nice lines and interesting types of vessels. Looking forward to the build.

[yvesvidal]

Beautiful boat and excellent choice.

 

Yves

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello shipmates

 

Some photos of what is in the box.

Wood looks Ok, was surprised that it has some plastic parts though, some brass parts, sail cloth to make the sails (will have to get my sewing machine out), plans and instruction book if that is what you can call it ha-ha.

It is a wee bit smaller than my IL Leudo but higher and narrower.

 

Should be fun to build, will have to purchase some dye for the sails.

 

Let the fun begin.

 

Happy days.

 

Jo.

[ccoyle]

Plastic parts are standard Billings fare. Prep and paint them properly and they can look as good as wood. Consider it a multi-media kit.

[lmagna]

The plastic parts look to be about the same as the parts I received in my Billings St. Canute model about 200 years ago........... (Well at least 25-30 years ago). Although plastic instead of cast metal I found their quality considerably higher.

 

The vacuform workboat is a whole other matter. I don't know if there is an alternative available but you may want to look into replacing it with something nicer. But then I am not a real fan of Vacuform much of anything so I may be biased.

[RPaul]

I've built two of BB kits... Plastic parts are often the same between their kits of different scales - keep an eye on it and replace if needed. Ditch the white rigging cord unless you're sure it was white in real life. In general, it's worth checking EVERY step against other sources; I mean, literally every step - Billing are known to exercise a lot of artistic license (AKA making stuff up when they couldn't be @rsed to do the research as one would expect). And their plans are often not to scale, too, so keep an eye on it as well.

 

Good luck!

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello all

 

This is the colour I am going to dye the sails "Terracotta Brown".

 

Happy days.

 

Jo.

[Jason Builder]

Hi Jo,

 

Have fun building the Arnanes!   I built that kit in 2015 and really enjoyed it.  When I saw that you were building it I was reminded that I never posted a finished model album in the gallery, so I just did that.  When I was building the kit I researched this type of boat and found that the ship the model is based on was refurbished and is still sailing; she is called the Johanna and you can look at pictures of it for ideas.  
 

https://www.mmtours.fo/product/sailboat-johanna/

 

Enjoy the project!

 

Jason

 

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello Jason

 

Thank you for contacting me about my build, thank you also for the link.

 

I have found your building log, this will be very handy for me.

I have noted that your hull came in two half's but my kit the hull is one piece, this will be my second wooden ship build and I am a wee bit worried about the planking of the hull as it is a POF, I have read that this is very hard to do, any tips you can pass on to me please.

 

Jo.

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello all

 

Just started cutting out the parts, but when I tried taking the back part out (stern end) I noticed that part of it was going to snap off.

I was talking to the man next door he said put some CA glue on it about two or three coats and that will give the wood some strength.

Is this correct.

 

Happy days.

 

Jo.

Edited December 5, 2019 by SHIPSCAT

[Louie da fly]

 

Hmm, yes that certainly is a weak point and not surprising it's coming adrift. It's a bit of a design fault on the kit manufacturer's part. Once the boat is built the rest of the structure will hold it all in place quite securely - it's just keeping it from breaking off in the meantime that you have to cope with. Will this part be visible when the model is complete? Because if not, you could glue a "splint" either side of the weak spot to strengthen it (the brown line). If it is going to be visible, the best you can do is glue it as securely as possible and be very careful not to break it off before it's reinforced by the rest of the structure.

 

Regarding the dye, don't forget to do a test run before you dye the sails - it might turn out to be a ghastly colour completely different from what shows on the packet (don't ask me how I know).

 

The plastic parts are just things that would be either too difficult or expensive to make in wood (or would just break the moment you look at them), and as Chris says, with proper prep they'll look just as good as the wood. 

 

Regarding the workboat, you might consider building it up on a solid carved base (called a plug), with thin frames bent around it. There are several examples of boats being made this way scattered amongst the build logs, such as archjofo's  unbelievably magnificent pinnace for his model of La Créole (well above the efforts of us mere mortals) - starting on the page linked below. 

 

Steven 

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Louie da fly

[Kikatinalong]

Hi Jo

A little CA wouldn't hurt, but you could also just place a strip or two of planking or similar underneath using some elastic bands to hold it in place until it is connected by other parts.

Good luck with your build. 

Cheers

peter. 

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello Steven and Peter

 

Thank you both, if I put a strip of wood at the bottom it would get in the way of the frame that has to be glued in that slot.

Also I have a wee bit of wood each side that glues onto the frame and keel (blue line).

 

Re dye I do now think that it may be a wee bit on the red side, so I will get some brown and mix them 50/50 and see what I get.

 

Thank you for your comments they have been a big help to me.

 

Happy days.

 

Jo.

[Louie da fly]

Perhaps you could widen the slot in that frame, to allow for the additional thickness in the "sternpost" because of the splints?

 

Steven

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello Steven

 

The depth of the frame slot is only about 2mm, I don't think I could trust myself filing equal amounts of wood off each side.

 

Jo.

[Louie da fly]

Ah, well - it seemed like a good idea at the time 

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello Steven

 

Yes it was a good idea a very good idea but my skills are not that good yet.

If I snap it off then that will be another story, I have looked at it again and it has 4 bits of wood to strengthen it not the 2 as stated before so I should be Ok.

 

Thank you for your suggestion it was very kind of you to try and help me out THANK YOU.

 

Jo.

[Louie da fly]

Okay, another idea - using PVA, glue a piece of wood to the bottom of this section, as wide as the "sternpost" itself.

 

 

As I'm not familiar with how the model goes together, I don't know if you can add all 4 strengthening pieces first, but when you no longer need the reinforcing piece dab isopropanol (which you've previously used on Il Leudo) onto the join between the sternpost and the reinforcing bit, and gently remove it.   

 

That might just work.

 

Steven

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello all

 

I have been thinking about this weak spot, when I get the first 3 frames on the stern and the 4 bits of wood that go in between them I think I will also put some balsa wood in also.

 

Jo.

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello all

 

Yippppeeeeee I have started gluing the frames on.

 

As I don't know much about other kits I found this one a wee bit different from my IL Leudo kit.

This one you have to glue the frames on the keel then put another bit of wood over the top of them, this is from the stern end and from frames 4-11, then do the other frames.

 

I will now finish the other frame today.

 

Happy days.

 

Jo.

[popeye the sailor]

yea,  that one bulkhead slot does look a bit thin.   I think you have the best solution,  fitting in some balsa.   you could also glue in short pieces of strip stock between the bulkheads,  fore and aft on both sides.  space them far enough away from the stern stem,  so they won't interfere with anything.    your the best to decide which way to go with this.......you were smart enough to pick the weak spot out    that was a good find!

[Louie da fly]

Looking good, Jo. 

 

Steven

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello Popeye and Steven

 

Thank you both.

 

Popeye re weak point on the stern, it was more about luck than anything that I found it, when I cut the tabs and tried to take it out of the wooden sheet I noticed that the end started to twist, so I stopped and re-cut the tabs again, when it came out I could move it side to side so I thought I was in big trouble if it snapped it in half.

I am sure I read someplace that if you put some CA (thin) on wood it will make the wood stronger so this is what I did.

That is when I asked about this on my log.

Can I say thank you all for your suggestions.

 

Happpppppppyyyyyy dayyyyysssssssss.

 

Jo.

[popeye the sailor]

I've heard that too.......but it can have the opposite effect as well.  I'm sure you'll choose the best course of action    just be careful till you do.

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello shipmates

 

I have completed the framing and the 4 strengthening parts at the stern.

 

Next up is some parts that go round the inner part of the frames.

 

Happy days.

 

Jo.

[TOM G]

Looking at the pic's Jo......... their is a big distance between bulkheads at midship........ if the distance from bulkhead to bulkhead is 2" or more....... your planks will dimple and rise in those area's....... as you can see on the hull of my 1st build.   you could make 2 bulkheads out of 1/8" balsa wood and that would give you the backing you need.   

[mtaylor]

For packing that area, maybe just fill with balsa wood and sand.   The wood doesn't have to fill the opening, just conform to the hull shape.

[Dr PR]

I have also had problems with kits that have too wide spacing between bulkheads. You can get flat areas in the hull surface between these widely spaced bulkheads.

 

I usually make extra bulkheads from sheet plywood and add them as needed. Then the edges are sanded down to conform with the hull shape before I start planking.

 

You can also just fill in the spaces with blocks of balsa and sand them into shape.

 

But it is much easier to make corrections at this point than it is after you have started planking.

 

Another thing I do to prevent cracks between planks and uneven edges between planks a few years down the road is to paint the inside of the planked hull with clear two-part epoxy paint - just very thin epoxy cement. This soaks into the planks and bulkheads, and after it cures the hull will be very solid. I have single layer planking hulls 35+ years old that show no signs of cracks.

 

You can see both of these techniques in my Albatros thread listed below.